JoSAA 2027 PwD Candidates Guide – Reservation & Certificate Mechanism
5% horizontal reservation, disability certificate rules, and accessible infrastructure — the stable mechanism explained.
Disclaimer: JoSAA 2027 has not begun and no official seat numbers or dates exist as of October 2026. This page explains the stable PwD reservation mechanism used in past cycles (2024–2026) as an evergreen guide. Confirm exact 2027 details via the official brochure once released.
PwD Reservation: How It's Expected to Work
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) have received 5% horizontal reservation at all participating IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs across recent JoSAA cycles. As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, a "benchmark disability" of at least 40% has qualified a candidate for this reservation — a threshold expected to remain stable for 2027.
| Category | PwD Sub-category |
|---|---|
| General/Open | PwD-GEN |
| OBC-NCL | PwD-OBC-NCL |
| SC | PwD-SC |
| ST | PwD-ST |
| EWS | PwD-EWS |
A PwD candidate from an OBC-NCL background, for instance, is considered under PwD-OBC-NCL — they do not lose their original vertical category benefit. This layered structure has remained stable and is expected to continue for 2027.
Disability Certificate Requirements
Accepted Certificate Authorities (based on past cycles)
- - Medical Board of a Government Hospital (District Civil Hospital or above)
- - Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or authorized representative
- - Composite Regional Centers (CRCs) run by MSJE
Historically NOT Accepted
- - Private hospital certificates
- - Certificates not in RPwD Act 2016 prescribed format
- - Certificates not stating the percentage disability numerically
Accessible Infrastructure Expectation
All IITs and NITs are required under the RPwD Act to provide accessible campuses — ramps, accessible hostels, and academic support. Actual implementation has varied by institute in past cycles. It's recommended to contact the disability coordinator at your allotted institute before joining to understand specific accommodations, a practice that remains sound for 2027.
JoSAA 2027: complete guide
Dates, eligibility, pattern, syllabus, result and counselling in one place.
1Will PwD reservation continue in JoSAA 2027?
2What is the minimum disability percentage required?
3How does horizontal PwD reservation work?
4Who issues the disability certificate for JoSAA?
5What accommodations are typically available during JEE and JoSAA?
Know Your College
Before Counselling
Predict your college using JoSAA 2026 cutoff data across IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
